Clutch



July 4, 1933. D. A, LETTINI 1,917,133

CLUTCH lFiled oct. 10. 1952 Snventor attorney Mmmm ' desired manner', for example, by asprocket Patented July f4,' ...1933 i 'y cantaor-r 3 v My invention relates td clutchesvand morey particularly to clutches of the 'free-wheeling" type. which vareY two way engaging in the direction to apply power'ztothedriven load.

The main object o-f my invention is to pro-Y ingga plurality of' ,eng-aging faces .which are Y positioned Vto apply the-fdr'fving effort in the most eliicient manner'.v Y Y Ammer Object is topmvide a @nach which f is sturdy in construction, economical tomanufacture and.V maintain, and which is' .easy to assemble; Other objects will ent from the detailed descriptionwhich follows,4 taken with theaccompanying drawing which showsy a pre-'ferr-edform of my: inven' tion andfwherein,. v y

-Figure 1 is a view' in longitudinal. section of an' assembled clutch and driving sprocket; f

25 Fig. 2 is aviewin side elevation with parts -v removed to show details ofthe clutch. L

.Referring to the "drawing in detail, a4 drive shaftl 1 is supportedtov rotate in the 'roller Y bearings 2 and 3 mounted in "pedestalsf'd "and 32. A. second` pair of retracting springs 29 and itlareattached atjpoints 31v and 32 .to the clutch plate 17. .iLginother spring 33 7 g i is attached -at34 :to the plate 17 Vand at '3 5' totheplatel. V

and 5.. The shaft 1 may berotated in any wheel 6 which is keyed thereto. I have.pro.v vided a novel formof affree wheel device of the sprocket type.4 whi-chis"` formed in. two

mainv portions, the outer or toothedring 1- andthe inner web portion 8. The .web 8 is Supported to rotate onfbearings' 9y on the shaft 1, while the toothedring 7 is carried 'on theV web 8 by means of ball bearings 9 `retained in a ballv race 10.k To retain the ring`7 on the web 8, a' pair of .plates 11, 11" are secured.L

by bolts 12 to either side of the ring'7'- to overlap the web 8. A pair of 'grooves 13 formed in thewebV 8 receive, respectively;

a pair of. ribs 111 formed'on thev inner faces ofthe-platesv 11-andj11". The' plate 11 may be formed preferably from brass since this plate is designed` to cooperate through'frice tional contact with certain,` clutchsho'es toi' vbe described.- Thering' 7. is provided ywith vsprocket teeth 15. .f j Y 15 iis' keyed to shaftl A1 A flange member and serves to prevent movement of the web v Stothe' right. in Figure' 1. K My improved clutch element .comprises two mainfclutc'h become readily .appar-V plateshll 17Wvhiclraiemounted to lie'V Y on opposite sides of theshaftj and inface Contact with the web 8.11-y Each clutch plate, 'when'lforjced outwardly radially will engage along its peripherywith the inner edge face of the brass ring11. A-double caminember j 18 isgleyed7to-the shaft 1 r4andis provided with -a pair-.of cams 19, 20, arranged onoppol site sides ofthismember.l VFor thisV purpose,

the member.-18 is formed.'slightlyv elliptical. tov provide a c'amextension `atA each end 'of they major axis.: Thev clutch'plate 17 is cut out`near its center/'to formv afcamrecess 21 f corresponding in shape to that'of the ycam 19; l

.An arcuate floating cam member 22 is lo-r `cated Vin a cam shapedrecess V23 formed at `late va wedge. A retaining plate 24 secured to theplate'16servesto retain the cam mem'. ber22gfrin position laterally.` f

The cam'member 18v is cut away yat k25 to 80 provide-clearance anda support for a spring 1 retaining screw'26. '.A'pair of cam retracting ,springs 27 and 28 are'attached at yone end to the. freejends of the'camfplat'e 22 and'at'their opposite ends yrespectively to the screws 26 s' .The springs 27 and'28vserveto return vthe cam" plate 22 to its-neutral position after'its displacement. The springsIi-QQ' and SOjserve l, 1

to return the plate17toits neutral or Vnonengaging position'after itsclutching engagement.y `'llhe spring 33 `acts to yurge',p'lates'l and V17 towardseafchofhenandf out `,of clutch! tachablyretainedbya setscrew 37and serves v `to coverthe central clutchparts.r y

lt willlj'be noted-that tlieplate. 1V

double?functionof -hold`ingthev7 in .l I position and engaging the clutch plates 16,

17, lthrough frictional-contact, thereby rotat-v f ingthe yring 7' through rotation ofth'ese plates? kDriving thru'stis applied to'lplate' V11 y'through thejlarge radius of plates-16,. The ribs 14 andfjgrooves also serve a--doublefunction ofa'ssisting, in retaining and #guidingl `A the y ring??l duringj its free movement over'th'e plates. 16V, 17, "andfwebl, and, furthermore, f

when a thrust is imparted from a plate. 16 or 17 directly on the plate 11, thereby tending to rock the ring 7 clockwise in Figure 1, the rib 14 on the left particularly will engage the upper face of its groove 13 and prevent any clockwise displacement.

I provide a pair of yielding drag or brake members 38 which are slidably mounted on pins 39 threaded into their respective supports 1, 5. Springs l0 which engage flanges 41 on the cap like members 36 act to thrust these members toward the web 8. The members 38 apply a braking action to plates 16 and 17 to prevent these plates from rotating with the ring 7 when the latter runs freely.

In the operation of the device, a load may be connected to the sprocket ring 7 through a sprocket chain not shown. Under certain conditions, this load may comprise moving parts driven by another source of power; hence, when the shaft 1 is not driven by the sprocket wheel 6, the sprocket ring 7 is free and may rotate idly on the web 8. When the sprocket wheel 6 is driven from a source of power at any speed higher than the speed of the ring 7, the speed of which sometimes may even be zero, the clutch elements become operative to apply power to the ring 7 from the shaft 1. A slight rotation of shaft 1 in either direction relative to the position of ring 7 will permit the cams 19 and 20 to force the clutch plates 16, 17 outwardly radially. The cam 19 will engage the plate 17 directly along the cam recess 21. The cam 2O will engage the cam plate 22 which may rock slightly around the shaft 1 and, at the same time, may be moved radially bodily to engage the plate 16 whereby to move the latter outwardly to engage the ring 11. I/Vhen the speed of the shaft 1 decreases relative to that of the ring 7, the clutch will become disengaged. The function of the springs connected to the plates 16, 17 and 22 is to provide a quick release for the clutch elements and restore same to their original positions. The cam plate 22 provides a maximum of wearing face between the cam 2O and the plate 16. vThe plate 22 acts to compensate for wear on the clutch surfaces in that this plate will shift gradually counter-clockwise to maintain plate 16 spaced close to ring 11. The springs 27, 28 connected thereto will permit the plate 22 to float in neutral when not in its engaging position.

My clutch is designed in a manner to provide simplicity of parts and ease of assembly and replacement of parts. Its various elements are designed to provide a rugged construction and an efficient operation and its cost of manufacture is relatively low. In operation, the engagement of parts is smooth and positive.

W'hile I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention for the purpose of an understanding of its principles, it is yto be understood that various modifications are contemplated as will be included within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a free wheel clutch, a driving shaft,

a driven member, a cam surface disposed eccentrically on the shaft, an arcuate cam plate in engagement with said cam surface and movable in either direction around the shaft, spring members for yieldably retaining said cam plate in a neutral position in contact with the cam surface, a clutch member, said member being provided with a cam face in engagement with the cam plate, a clutch engaging surface on said driven member adjacent the outer end of the clutch member, said cam plate being movable radially by the cam surface whereby to move the clutch member to engage the clutch engaging surface upon relative movement between the driving shaft and driven member, a second cam surface disposed eccentrically on the shaft, a' second clutchmember having a cam face engaging said last named cam surface and being movable thereby to engage said clutch engaging surface to provide a two way engaging clutch.

2. In a free wheel clutch, a driving shaft, a circular plate mounted on said shaft and concentric therewith, a driven rim supported on the periphery of said circular plate, retaining plates projecting radially from said rim and extending to overlap peripheral side portions of said circular' plate, a clutch member arranged in face contact with said circular plate and movable radially to engage one of said retaining plates, and cam-means on said shaft arranged in position to move said clutch member radially upon relative motion between said rim and shaft.

3,. In a device as set forth in claim 2, interengaging means on one of the retaining plates and the circular plate adapted to prevent relah tive radial displacement therebetween.`

4.. In a device as set forth in claim 2, one of the retaining plates being provided with an inner circular face in position to engage the clutch member, and an interengaging tongue and groove connection between said retaining plate and the circular plate.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 2, each retaining plate being provided with a laterally extending circular rib, a circular groove on each side of the circular plate for receiving said ribs and a series of anti-friction rollers positioned between the rim and the circular plate.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 2,where in the circular plate is mounted to rotate on the shaft, Vand a housing plate is secured to the shaft and positioned to retain the clutch member adjacent the circular plate.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

DONATO A. LETTINI. 

